Chicken Pot Pie

If you've never attempted this dish...I encourage you to try! Its easier than you might think, and much tastier (and healthier...without preservatives and fillers) than store bought. If you aren't comfortable with making a pie crust...by all means buy the frozen ones! Don't let a little crust stop you! Frozen pie crusts taste pretty good, and will save you a lot of headache if you're intimidated by making them from scratch. Use them for all your sweet or savory pie dishes. But...someday, make it a point to attempt a homemade pie crust. I have 2 versions in the dessert section under "Pie Crust"...and I've included the one I use for this dish below. You can assemble this ahead of time and pop it in the oven later. It makes good leftovers. This is a great dish to take to someone who is sick, or just had a new baby. Good for leftover chicken or turkey.

Chicken Pot Pie
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/4 cup chicken or turkey broth (I like Pacific Foods brand.)
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, shredded OR 1 can (12oz)chicken with juice
1 small pkg frozen peas (optional)
1 carrot, peeled & chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 can of diced potatoes OR 1 or 2 leftover baked potatoes, diced

Heat butter over low heat until melted. Add onion, celery, and carrot. Saute about 3 minutes. Add flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smoothe and bubbly; remove from heat. Whisk in broth and milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in chicken and frozen peas. Pour mixture into a 9" pie crust. Cover with another 9" pie crust. Pinch the crust edges together. Slit the top to let out steam. Place pie plate on a foil covered cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.
Serves 6

Traditional Pie Crust Makes 2...9" pie crusts
2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp shortening OR 2/3 cup lard (I like lard best!)
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 to 5 Tbsp cold water

Add shortening, flour, and salt to food processor with the chopping blade...OR add to a mixing bowl and cut in by hand. Process until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle in water, 1 Tbsp at a time, processing, or tossing with a fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans the side of the bowl. Lay pastry out on a floured counter. Divide in half. Use a rolling pin to roll each pastry 2 inches larger than inverted pie plate. Dust with flour, fold each pastry into quarters; unfold 1 pastry into pie plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side. After adding filling to pie plate, unfold second crust on top. Trim around outside edges of the pie plate with a butter knife. Pinch the edges together. Bake as directed.